Cory Monteith's parents open up about his death a year later

Glee stars Cory Monteith and Lea Michele watch Game One of the Western Conference Quarterfinals between the San Jose Sharks and the Vancouver Canucks during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 1, 2013 in Vancouver.

A year after the sudden death of B.C. actor Cory Monteith, his parents have broken their silence about the death of their “baby bear” in separate interviews.

“The loss is horrendous … until three days ago I couldn’t look at a picture of Cory,” said Ann McGregor in a Vancouver-filmed Good Morning America segment. “So there’s been progress.”

Despite those small steps, she was unable to talk about that day when Monteith, who played lead character Finn Hudson on “Glee,” was found dead in his Vancouver hotel room. An autopsy ruled the 31-year-old Calgary-born, Vancouver Island-raised actor died from a mixture of alcohol and heroin. He had checked himself into rehab to deal with his substance-abuse issues three months earlier.

McGregor admitted she knew she would lose him early in life when Monteith, just 15 at the time, suffered a “code blue” incident. She suggested his struggles with drugs stemmed from a difficult relationship with his estranged father, Joe Monteith, who was uninvited to his son’s private viewing and cremation services.

On July 9, Joe Monteith spoke to ET Canada about his son’s death for the first time as well.

“Cory was a likable young man and if he was in the room, you’d be smiling,” said Joe. “He enjoyed life. That’s why I was so shocked about the outcome of everything.”

He admitted the pair were estranged at the time of Cory’s death, although they had tried to reconnect over the past few years.

Both parents also mentioned Cory’s girlfriend and co-star Lea Michele, who marked the sad anniversary with a tweeted tribute to her on-screen and off-screen love.

We hold you in our hearts today, and every day we remember your smile. We will love you and miss you always. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/deA4PQUZNz

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